The Standing Will Remain
by Monty Maestro
Summary: Set in an wasteland, the aftermath of a human holocaust leaves the race of remaining Pokemon to defend themselves against a league of rogue Pokemon who have gone berserk. With an academy of sorts, Leader Slowking and his staff ready tomorrow's troops.
1. Chapter 1: Routine Orientation

**Disclaimer:** As you already know, this is a Pokemon-based Fanfic. I do not own the universe or franchise or property of the Pokemon entity as a whole. All rights go to their respective owners.

**Note:** The image of the setting this takes place in can be found here: [ photobucket - **tinyurl: /standingsetting** ] courtesy of Photobucket.

Chapter One: Routine Orientation

* * *

><p>The war was long since over, and, yet, it still waged on. The tall stalks of skinned and fractured trunks that once stood high and mighty in the most expansive stretch of untainted lands were now barely supportive enough fortresses for their former inhabitants. Creatures of the air and the land alike now hid beneath the surface of the earth, residing within elaborate tunnels and passages, labyrinths and caves which were their natural defenses against the terrors that paced the lands overhead. The creatures that once walked upon the earth and settled on a plot of land, speaking to one another in tongues that they themselves didn't quite understand, creatures that captured these cowering animals beneath the surface to use them for their bidding. It was torture. They were pitted against one another for the bragging rights of who had the most skilled catch. To think that these individuals were long since gone was a dream within a nightmare.<p>

The skies were bland and gray, and no light leaked through the stretch of darkness overhead. A buzzing hummed through the stale air, light breezes forcing its way through space as if it was fleeing from something horrendous, something frightening. Ruby eyes, so complex to operate with hexagon-framed images coming in from just about all directions, received information, even in this installation of ominous darkness.

"**See anything yet?**"

A voice came from the left side of the Yanmega's head. It sounded stern and educated, as if it had never once been a dopey and brainless Slowpoke before. The Yanmega stopped in its flight to do a quick spin. "**Nope. I've been out here for about three minutes, and I haven't seen one yet. They must be raiding one of the towers.**" Its speech was quick-paced and retained its nasally ring. He sounded like an individual who would be fit well to fixing up technology if he possessed the body of a human. He resumed his flight.

"**Alright, then. Come back in for the night. We have to talk to the Recruits.**" Came the stern baritone. The Yanmega nodded and dipped down to fly closer to the ground, over the large gaps and fissures and gaping holes of the earth. The dirt that was once clogged with green, luscious grass was now barren and patchy, barely producing anymore plants from the scorched surfaces. He strafed to the right, veering off into a large arc and flattened out into a glide to the ground. With a vertical wave of its body, it dropped at a ninety-degree, and descended into one of the larger fissures. "**You've got it.**"

There was the usual commotion in the North Norm Assembly Hall. The commotion this time, however, was from the routine excitement and anticipation of the new recruits. The Force made it a point to attempt to recruit as many rogue pokemon as they could; they needed all the help they could get.

Voices hushed down and eyes looked up to the front of the room to see a Slowking on the peak of the small, dome which proved to be his announcement stand. He stood with an unfaltering expression - assertive, but not overly-aggressive as to scare them all away. Naturally, his goal was to instill courage in the lot of them.

"**Welcome, New Recruits,**" The same voice that spoke to the Yanmega projected over the three-by-four lines of pokemon they had managed to scrounge up. This was their largest group yet. "**I would like to firstly bring to your attention that you are in the protection of the Force, here. We, as a band of pokemon who have the resolve of bringing peace to the land, will protect you from Ghost.**" At the mere mention of the name of their alleged adversary, the potential members and already active members tensed up, but no one spoke a word. Slowking continued.

"**I am Solomon. I am the leader of this faction, and I aim to maintain order and progress in these facilities.**" He folded his hands behind his back, large eyes amplified by the lowering of his eyelids. He gave the dull, scrutinizing look to each and every one of the recruits for a moment before his chest rose and fell quickly. **"As I look over the lot of you now,**" He paced to the left, looking odd as he walked on an angle without so much as a sign of struggle only to turn back around, "**You all show promise. Some will aid in the defense, some will aid in the support, and some will aid in the offense. All of our facets are equally important, and whichever you are assigned to will be based on your capabilities. You should not think anything differently. If you have any qualms with your positions, however, you should voice them immediately. We shall not have anyone drag down this organization because of their preferences.**" He held up a pink hand, rounded at the tip, to ward off questions or complaints that immediately surfaced.

They all knew to hold their questions for their instructors, and - even then - they were expected to perform first and complain later.

He turned back to ascend up the three-foot mount once more. "**There are eight Leading Staff Members, who you will address as their species with a "lead" preceding it. Myself, for example, you shall call me 'Lead Slowking.' Everyone understand?**" He paused for a moment to see the reactions of coherence and accord before resuming. He stood at the peak once more. "**Let me introduce them to you, one by one.**" He stepped backwards as the assembly line would approach the hump as they were called. "**This is Lead Grovyle, Greenvyle; Lead Meganium, Mega; Lead Simmisage, Sage; Lead Monferno, Montferer; Lead Luxio, Lucky; and Lead Tangela, Angela.**" He blinked twice, watching as the Yanmega he had sent out earlier to do scout work had returned. "**Ah, and of course, Lead Yanmega, Yan-Yan.**" Each had gestured their greetings as they passed by the Slowking on the pristine and shiny, white stage. It drew in the attention of the recruits, as diverse and dynamic as they were themselves, to have such an arrangement of influential and powerful pokemon in their midst.

"**You have been assigned to a respective Staff and Party already. But, before you shuffle off to introduce yourselves, you must be told of the rules and regulations.**" He explained that they were not allowed up on the surface without at least two staff members and three fellow party members present; that they were not allowed into the caves or labyrinths on any accounts; that they were required to attend all instructions held by their respective mentors; and the basic rules of the organization: no aggressions between members, no coveting of property - the works. All in all, the assembly went well and the mass of twelve or so pokemon were dismissed.

They milled about to find their instructors, and once they had all be rounded up, they began introducing one another. There was a gaunty looking mareep paired with a buneary and an aron. With them, a kangaskhan stood towering over her pupils, eyes strong and expecting, but also compassionate for the little lost souls. She would treat them well.

In another group, two versions of the bulbasaur evolution line - a bulbasaur and an ivysaur - stood close to one another, eying a torchic. They had been arranged with Lead Tangela, whose eyes expressed all the fright and concern that she was experiencing for her pupils. She was barely larger than two of her own pupils, but she had an air of experience about her; she knew more than they did, at the very least.

Next was Electabuzz's trio: a complacent assortment of a magnemite, a duskull whom everyone was warily watching from the corner of their eyes, and a foreigner, it seemed. He tugged at the stretchy flesh that served as a protective pouch about his waist. The scraggy jutted out his jaw and huffed out in relief. He thought he was going to get worse.

An unfortunate group, it seemed, had been cropped to be with a disgustingly abrasive muk. With his sludge all over the place and his fumes, none of the recruits seemed disappointed with their groups except for two of the members in this one. An ambitious houndour and a seemingly headstrong turtwig shared moments of mutual distress before catching the other's eye and then a glare before snapping their vision in the opposite direction. A shy and withdrawn oddish seemed hurt that neither of her teammates wished to play with her.

As the few conversations among the groups had been interrupted by the dismissal, courtesy of Lead Slowking, Solomon, Lead Yanmega approached him on his stage, the two watching as the squads filed out behind their respective leaders, some watching or speaking more than others. The bustle filled in the silence of the auditorium, even after the entrances were vacant and the rest of the staff members were either lounging around, or went elsewhere to tend to their duties.

Yan-Yan's wings twitched and he writhed his body, getting an odd vibe from the taller, pink figure beside him. His eyes were closed, and this interested the insect pokemon. "**What do you think?**" An interval of silence. This made the yanmega think over his own question, pertaining to his thoughts on the matter. Did these new recruits have what it took to survive out here? This wasn't a light life anymore, and by the looks of these recruits, they had already forgotten what was up on the surface.

"**What do I think?**" Mused Lead Slowking slowly. He rubbed at the side of his head with his appendage, brushing absentmindedly against the shell atop his head. Once he was done with his contemplations, he looked up at the light circuits that their entire electric pokemon populace had stored in the systems, glowing dimly so as to not waste their supplies. There were also torches being fed oxygen from the outlets beneath them, the flames courtesy of the few fire pokemon who were associated with the faction itself.

The pink pokemon's lips flattened out into a line, his left brow quirked. He didn't truly know how to get it out in a simple word or two, but that was all he would be able to produce for the time being. That, or a simple, upended sentence. And that's what he settled with.

"**Well, only time will tell.**"


	2. Chapter 2: An Incentive

**Disclaimer:** As you already know, this is a Pokemon-based Fanfic. I do not own the universe or franchise or property of the Pokemon entity as a whole. All rights go to their respective owners.

**Note:** The image of the setting this takes place in can be found here: [ photobucket - **tinyurl: /standingsetting** ] courtesy of Photobucket.

Chapter Two: An Incentive

* * *

><p>The narrow and dimly lit corridor they filed through seemed very scary to most of them. The younger pokemon made sure not to lag too far behind as they checked every darker part of the ceiling due to the influx of lighting via electricity or controlled flame while the elder pokemon kept focused ahead. Fighting-types proved as bodyguards, littering along the few corridors that this present one was adjacent to. It seemed as though the headquarters of the Force was remarkably large and surprisingly effective to be hosting this many pokemon - while it didn't seem like many, there were more than some of these recruits had ever seen in their lives.<p>

The patter of their feet battling against the conjunctive thuds of their new mentors' feet and slurping of one's slime, they turned a corner. The Oddish near the rear stumbled and hit the Houndour before her before he had rounded the corner. With spiked trepidation, she staggered away, attempting to regain her footing while quaking. "**S-Sorry!**" The tears welling in the corners of her eyes were visible, just on the brink of leaking over.

The canine whirled around and was ready to bite the weed in half. However, he was intercepted by the nuisance of a Turtwig from before. "**Hey, c'mon,**" a glance from the weed to the dog had made certain to relay the warning. "**Don't worry about it,** " he consoled her, his voice as innocent as her own, albeit a bit raspier, "**no one won't hurt you.**" Walking alongside her, the Turtwig escorted her back to the line of silent pokemon and resumed their march. The Houndour, left behind, growled with his sights on that stupid, ridiculous lone leaf that dangled over the Turtwig's head.

He'd be sure to singe it if it got in the way again. With a growl and subsequent huff, the dog trotted forth to reattach himself as part of the line. However, he did not settle for last in line, and continued past the handful of pokemon whom he was with before the disruption.

Now at the head of the line, he requested the attention of the instructors. "**Hey, how much longer are we going to be on our way? And where are we going, anyway?**" He resolved that he had as much privilege to know what they did, since they were all in this thing together. His attitude didn't surprise any of the instructors, however, and when the Kangaskhan - largest out of the instructors - turned to face the boy, the entirety of the line had stopped.

Her carapace nearly reached the bottom of a lamp on the wall beside her. She glanced over to a machoke, who was leaning against the wall, half-asleep, arms crossed. A chuckle escaped her lips and she looked back down to the pup. "**Kid, get back in line.**"

Turning around, she led the line once over.

Scowling at the display of adult-defiance, the Houndour lagged behind until he was back in his spot in line. If he knew his way around this place and was sure that he would be able to shake all of these old grunts, he would have scorched the old hag in her hind, right then. If only. If only...

The Kangaskhan led them around another corner. This corner was distinguished, however, by the frame of a craggy outline that would prove to be a door frame. There was no door, because it was unnecessary. As much as they were prominently focusing on defenses and whatnot, they would admit to retaining an aesthetic regard of their stance of living. It was the simple things that lightened up the room, though, that gave the youths an impression otherwise.

There weren't any furniture in the space. There were mangy mats covering the slate of the ground, their collectively faded cobalt visibly tattered - from what, none of them had gathered, but they were unaware that they would soon discover the reason.

Taking a few steps further into the room, Kangaskhan turned about fluidly, sure to knock some individual over with her meaty tail should they have been in the way. Fortunately, no one was in its path. She laid her hands over her abdomen, the horizontal strips of darker shading sinking into her body with each breath. She stood there, her eyes, patient and unfaltering, as she waited for the rest of them to pool in.

Twelve or so little ones before her, taking up nearly a sixth of the room. There were other pokemon in here, none fitting to particular types. The room had bland walls - eggshell white still intact, surprisingly enough considering the rest of the room's state - and no particular ornaments decorating it.

Stepping aside, Kangaskhan showed them a pair of linoone watching them all. She nodded and the two of them returned the gesture. Turning to one another, they nodded with respect and reverence and then began pacing clockwise, sizing one another up. They had done this many times before, and with the pads covering their paws, it could be easily gathered that they were regular staff for exhibitions in this large space: its purpose was for training.

A few lunges and growls, and the light atmosphere was maintained. However, most of the youths watched on in concern. They didn't want to fight anyone, especially when they had just been plucked up out of the barren wastelands above. Kangaskhan felt these vibes, as she did with every batch. It forced a sigh and a complacent smile of comfort on her gaping maw. Her molars glistened with the saliva compensating for her missing her meal for this assembly and shift. She took a brief moment to swallow discreetly and stepped back into their focus as the linoone withdrew from one another, the winning hit coming from the one with black gear. The one with gray gear stepped back and they both turned to their audience, bowing to the older and younger members of the Force.

These linoone never had seen the surfaces, but they were crucial in establishing and embellishing key combat basics.

"**As you have just seen, courtesy of Line and Ray,**" Kangaskhan glanced in the direction of the two ferrets whose bodies gyrated once in acknowledgement, their tails flopping alongside them, "**this is the purpose of the training room. It is the first room since your dismissal from the assembly. We will be doing assembled basics in here, and then training until you're ready to go into your fields.**" She was to continue, but a rather dark arm poking upward from the group served its purpose - to snatch up her attention.

The sole glow of red emanating from the midst of the skulls sockets did not seem to bother the kangaskhan as it did every one else in the room - everyone except his teammates and two members of another, and a few instructors, but they were familiar with far scarier sights.

"**What is it, Duskull?**" His mentor wasn't present, so she did not have the chance to learn the youth's name from Electabuzz.

"**Uhm.. Where are we?**" He seemed like he was perfectly complacent with being called by his species. It was his identity, and while he may have been the one most like the creatures that roamed the earth above, he was not them: this was something they would have to learn and understand. His red glow slowly traced the insides of the room, the bottom of his robe dangling just over the padding as he would hover forth.

"**Well, we're in the Normal Sector of the Force's Headquarters. It's the largest area, but I'm sure your mentors will take you on tours soon enough, okay? Any other questions?**" She clapped her large paws together, running them against one another idly. A moment passed before the same hand shot up, and she smiled gently. A chuckle escaped her lips as she watched the eager and curious one wiggle his arm. A nod permitted him a follow-up question.

"**Do any other members of The Force use this room?**" saying the title seemed like nothing to him, but it made others buzz with excitement - notably a spark from the magnemite in his squad.

The Kangaskhan nodded. It was a viable question. They were concerned if they'd be able to completely engross themselves in dedicating their time to their efforts and predetermined "aspirations". She opened her maw to reply, her rather gruff and low voice retaining a smooth tone, despite her sprouting irritation. It came with the territory.

"**Well, not the entire Force is going to be in here, but you will have special visits from individuals of particular fields to better coach you. It's an inclusive experience and we want to make sure you're best nurtured for the moment when you need to start supporting yourselves.**" She smiled and straightened a bit. Her tail twitched behind her, its protruding spine quivering as she felt the ire of others in the room as the hand went up once more.

She could compose her smile, but if the boy held things up any further, she would have to make him hold his questions for later. "**Yes, Duskull?**"

"**Sorry I interrupted, Kangaskhan. What were you going to say?**"

She chuckled at this and looked over to the Muk that was in the room with them. He showed no signs of interest for the little pests and simply stood there in his perpetual state of fluid - thick and disgusting toxins, but albeit fluids. So, with Muk waiting his turn to speak, his eyes went back to Kangaskhan, who turned and backed out of their way.

"**Make your way onto the mats. We're going to do basic learning from your Common Instructors, what we call C.I.'s, now.**" They obliged and uncertainly took the steps onto the mat. It was comfortable and more lush than their tattered appearance let on to be. Their paws patted it a couple of times, verifying their suspicions. It was bouncy. Fortunately for those without legs, like the magnemite and duskull, they wouldn't be distracted by the mat. Unfortunately, they would be distracted by the playful bunch, like the reluctant bulbasaur who looked up at the larger ivysaur or the oddish who smiled at the kind turtwig. The rest either watched on, judgmental.

"**Everyone, say hello to Ray and Line again,**" the two were distinguishable by the length and patterns of the lines on their fur, "**and follow their instructions.**"

So, they went through the motions. Visibly, it was interesting to watch. Kangaskhan and Muk watched from the wall next to the entryway. The rhythmic chants the group produced would help them with their balance and with their maneuvers altogether. After a while, in stepped a primate adorned in green. His tail flicked behind him like a wave as he rolled to his left, popping up before the less-than-suprised Kangaskhan and the less-than-excited Muk.

"**Simmisage,**" Muk gurgled. The larger pokemon of the three glanced down and nudged the mush with her elbow, as if to be more polite. This motion was visible, but Kangaskhan didn't care all that much. She was on better terms with Simmisage than Muk was with anyone. It humored her.

"**Sage, what took you so long?**" She inquired, but before he could reply, his focus went to the group. And his question overlapped with her own.

"**We've 'bout thirteen of 'em, correct? We could spin 'em at the tips t'view a better blur.**" He seemed bubbly with his archaic speech patterns. As he bounced away from the kangaskhan and the muk, the purple-hued poison glared up at the brown mammal.

"**See why I don't like him?**" He grumbled, slowly straightening so he could slink forth should need be.

"**Well, children~!**" Simmisage darted through the lines with grace and agility that they nearly stumbled in awe upon. Line and Ray wore cordial grins, but they couldn't say that they were delighted to have their lessons interrupted. But, as always, they would let a Lead Member of the Force do what they needed - even if they were Lead Simmisage. "How are we looking so far?" He asked the open-ended question to the linoone on either side of him. They nodded in synchronization and sat up, awaiting him to speak about whatever he was planning to.

"**You know, I'm excited to see what you all have been doing so far,**" while it felt like a couple of minutes had passed, they had been training for nearly fifteen minutes, this being their first, unofficial break. Kangaskhan and Muk also noted the change of levels in coherence in his speech patterns: he didn't want to confuse the children any more than they already were.

"**Would you all like to play a game of sorts?**" He petitioned, watching a few lights go on, others simply watching him in bewilderment. "**So, after you're done with your basic lessons today, we're going to have a little snack break,**" this excited them even more into the sound realm, a squeak or two being pressured into silence with little whispers escaping beneath their breath. "**Yes~! And _then_~**" he cooed, drawing out his words to coax them into indulging with their attention, "**we're going to have a little tournament. I want to see who's the best of you all!**" Of course, they were even more excited at the chance to show themselves, some more so than others, but they were interested nonetheless. They would treat it like a game, and it would be nothing more.

"**Carry on~!**" Simmisage danced through the presently parting crowd to gravitate towards the two mentors against the wall. Muk had visibly relaxed against the wall, his material sticking against the floor and the wall surfaces.

"**So you plan on picking out your '_disciples_' for next week by a tournament? Why not just stick to your type, Sage?**" Muk grumbled, glaring at the monkey as it hobbled closer.

Simmisage pursed his lips and formed a circle, mesmerized by the constant flow of muk's body. He reached forth and poked it with one of his fingers, recoiling when it flowed over his finger. Kangaskhan, of course, was standing there silently, watching the whole thing.

And it was even stranger the more they stood there and thought about it. Simmisage took a moment to shake his finger free of the gunk, and sniff it. It wreaked. "**Eugh~ Why haven't you lathered your hide, Moe?**" Simmisage glanced up at the Muk, whose name was apparently Moe and who was visibly disturbed by being called by such a name.

Kangaskhan snickered a bit, but did well to hide most of it. Muk felt it from his peripheral, though, and spat his retort: "**You shaddup.**" He then turned to the monkey. "**What did you come during their lesson for, anywho?**" Muk watched the primeape while he and Kangaskhan looked over at the recruits, resuming their training with Line and Ray.

"**Well, I'd much rather chance it early should they be tired and lack drive, silly Moe!**" He hopped up to his feet and bounced once, patting Muk atop his continuously descending layers of grime twice. Shaking free his hand of more waste, he green monkey span until he was near the way he came in, leaped up to the top of the door frame, and looked back into the room.

"**Besides, what's more fun than _having_ fun~?**"

And with that, he flickered out of view into the corridor.

Kangaskhan let the moment sink in, and up came a girlish laughter she had to kill as soon as it had surfaced. "**I'll never understand that monkey.**" Her confession was something many said and just as many meant.

Muk's grimace had not faltered in the slightest since the monkey left the room.

"**You and me both.**"


End file.
